Star junior guard Paige Bueckers has torn the ACL in her left knee and will miss the 2022-23 season, the UConn women’s basketball announced Wednesday.

NEWS: Paige Bueckers suffered a torn ACL in her left knee on Monday and will miss the 2022-23 season.https://t.co/ZSzEYwwWY1 pic.twitter.com/nWSB4uvyK7

— UConn Women’s Basketball (@UConnWBB) August 3, 2022

Bueckers suffered the injury during a pick-up basketball game on Monday, the team said in a release. An MRI that same evening confirmed the ACL tear.

The 2021 National Player of the Year will undergo surgery on Friday at UConn Health, after which her recovery timeline will be made available.

“We’re all devastated for Paige. She’s worked really hard to get stronger and healthier this offseason, and this is an unfortunate setback,” said head coach Geno Auriemma. “Paige is obviously an amazing basketball player but she’s a better person and teammate and it’s really unfortunate that this has happened to her.

“We’ll miss her presence on the court, but she’ll do everything she can to still lead and help her teammates this season. Our program will support Paige through her healing process to help her come back better and stronger.”

It will be the second season in a row in which Bueckers has missed significant time due to injury. Last season, Bueckers suffered a tibial plateau fracture in the same left knee and missed several months.

She returned to the court in late February and led UConn to the NCAA championship, where the Huskies lost to South Carolina.

Bueckers later took to Instagram, saying that she is “trying to make sense of it all” after having worked “so hard” to get back healthy. She also said that she had felt “stronger than ever” and was playing her best basketball prior to the injury.

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“With one sudden movement it all shifts,” she wrote. “It’s hard trying to make sense of it all now but I can’t help but think that God is using me as a testimony as to how much you can overcome with Him by your side. Some little kid that just tore their ACL or had a major surgery might need this story P, because it’s going to be one hell of a comeback.

“There is going to be good days and there is going to be bad days but my absolute love for the game and Godly strength will get me back to where I need to be. I’ve worked too hard for the little kid in these pictures to keep going for the dreams Ive had since I first picked up the ball, so why would I stop now?”

She added that the prayers and love being sent her way “means so much to me” and that the doubters of her ability to fight her way back “mean even more.”

“God put a dream in my heart,” Bueckers continued. “And even if I have to walk through a nightmare to get it I’m going to keep believing.”

The 2024 NCAA DI volleyball tournament officially kicks off on Thursday, when 64 teams will gear up to battle for postseason glory in this weekend's first and second rounds.

The college court's best have their sights set on competing in the December 22nd national championship match in Louisville, Kentucky.

Along with the 31 conference champions who automatically received postseason invites, the NCAA committee revealed its 33 selectees in Sunday's selection show. The top 32 teams are seeded one through eight in their respective bracket quadrants, and teams are guaranteed to only face non-conference opponents through the tournament's second round.

Leading the field with nine teams each are the ACC, Big Ten, and SEC, followed by the Big 12 with six squads selected.

The four teams who finished atop the national rankings — Pitt, Louisville, Nebraska, and Penn State — all earned No. 1 seeds.

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ACC powerhouses take aim at first national title

Sitting atop the rankings for most of the season, overall No. 1 seed Pitt showcases the ACC's immense depth, despite the conference having yet to produce a champion. The Panthers, who finished with Division I's best record at 29-1, have come achingly close over the last three seasons, falling short in the national semifinals each year.

Pitt's only loss this season came courtesy of ACC newcomer No. 2 SMU, a team they could face in the regional finals after landing in the same bracket quadrant.

Similarly, Louisville has been a consistent contender for the conference, becoming the ACC's first-ever team to make the championship match in 2022. Last year, the Cardinals failed to advance to the Final Four for the first time since 2020, stumbling in a five-set quarterfinal thriller against conference rival Pitt.

Big Ten dynasties seek continued dominance

After battling through arguably the sport's toughest all-around conference, Big Ten behemoths Penn State and Nebraska will take aim at their eighth and sixth program titles, respectively. Only former Pac-12 team Stanford — now a No. 2 seed in their debut ACC season — boast more NCAA championships than the Nittany Lions or Huskers.

Both teams finished their 2024 regular season campaigns neck-and-neck, posting 29-2 overall records and going 19-1 in conference play to share the Big Ten title. Penn State holds the tournament edge, however, maintaining their streak as the only NCAA team to make all 44 championship brackets — one more than Nebraska.

Each faces an uphill battle in the 2024 championship field. The Huskers must contend with longtime rivals and 2021 champs No. 2 Wisconsin in their quadrant. Meanwhile, the Nittany Lions find themselves in the same quadrant as reigning back-to-back champion Texas, who grabbed a No. 3 seed after a rollercoaster season. 

How to watch the 2024 NCAA DI Volleyball Tournament

The first and second rounds of the NCAA volleyball tournament will take place at 16 campus sites between Thursday and Saturday.

No. 5 BYU will kick off the action against Loyola Chicago at 3:30 PM ET on Thursday, with all 32 first-round and 16 second-round matches airing across ESPN platforms.

The USWNT ended 2024 with an unlikely win, overcoming a Dutch shooting barrage to earn a 2-1 comeback victory in Tuesday's Euro trip closer.

The world No. 1 squad looked overrun for much of the first half as the No. 11 Netherlands outshot the US 14-1. Oranje rookie Veerle Buurman ultimately broke through with a 15th-minute goal off of a corner kick to give the Netherlands a well-earned lead.

That said, the USWNT held tight, equalizing in the 44th minute when Buurman headed in Tierna Davidson's free kick for an own goal.

Subs made all the difference in the game's second half, taking back enough control to mount an impressive US comeback. In just her fourth cap, forward Yazmeen Ryan produced her first international assist, finding her Gotham FC teammate Lynn Williams streaking into the penalty area to put away the 71st-minute sliding goal that allowed the US to gut out the win.

"I thought today we demonstrated by not being at our best, both in and out of possession, that finding a way to win is a sign of a great team," commented US boss Emma Hayes after the match.

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SWNT keeper Alyssa Naeher's epic final match against he Netherlands

Longtime starting goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher earned Player of the Match honors with six stunning saves in her final USWNT performance on Tuesday. The now-retired star finishes her international career with 89 wins, 69 clean sheets, and 112 starts in her 115 caps.

Reflecting on her final year in goal for the States, Naeher said after Tuesday's match, "I think part of why I've been able to play with so much extra joy and smiles and really enjoy it this year even more, is I really felt like it was the last the whole time."

A golden 2024 to fuel 2025 USWNT success

With Saturday's draw against No. 2 England and Tuesday's victory over the Netherlands, the USWNT ends 2024 on a 20-match unbeaten streak that included their 16th Concacaf title and fifth Olympic gold medal.

After taking the US reins in May, head coach Hayes caps the year with a 13-0-2 record, with eight of those wins coming against FIFA-ranked Top-15 teams.

The momentum Hayes has built sets the stage for continued success next year. The USWNT will kick off 2025 with a mid-January training camp to run concurrently with a "Futures Camp," designed to identify and develop young talent for the senior squad.

The first matches on the USWNT's 2025 schedule will come in February, when the team hosts No. 7 Japan, No. 15 Australia, and No. 21 Colombia in the 10th annual SheBelieves Cup.

On today's episode of The Late Sub, host Claire Watkins wraps up a banner year for the USWNT. She starts by diving into how Tuesday's dramatic 2-1 win over the Netherlands, discussing how it showcased just how far the team has come and what they’ll need to do to continue to grow in 2025.

Later, Watkins chats through the lessons learned from the USWNT midfield's recent performances, plus the differences in player form between their clubs and national team.

Finally, she dishes about Alyssa Naeher's epic final performance, underlining how much the starting goalkeeper will be missed as she officially retires from the USWNT.

The Late Sub with Claire Watkins brings you the latest news and freshest takes in women’s sports. This is the weekly rundown you’ve been missing, covering the USWNT, NWSL, WNBA, college hoops, and whatever else is popping off in women’s sports each week. Special guest appearances with the biggest names in women’s sports make The Late Sub a must-listen for every fan. Follow Claire on X/Twitter @ScoutRipley and subscribe to the Just Women’s Sports newsletter for more.

Subscribe to The Late Sub to never miss an episode.

The WNBA dropped its 2025 schedule on Monday, with the league's 29th season set to tip off on May 16th and run through September 11th.

With the Golden State Valkyries debuting as the league’s first expansion franchise since 2008, all 13 teams will now play 44 games (22 home, 22 away), up from 40 in 2024. Despite the additional games, the season's calendar has not increased, as 2025 will not require an extended international break like last summer's Paris Olympics necessitated.

The fifth-annual Commissioner's Cup competition will begin in June, when the six Eastern Conference teams and seven Western Conference squads will play five and six round-robin games, respectively, to determine the two conference leaders who will contend for the in-season tournament's title — and the $500,000 purse — on July 1st.

Also on the 2025 WNBA schedule is the 21st annual All-Star Game, which will take over the Indiana Fever's Gainbridge Fieldhouse on July 19th.

"We look forward to... continuing to build on the success of last season, when the WNBA delivered its most-watched Draft and All-Star Game, and set records for viewership, attendance, digital consumption, and merchandise sales," commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in Monday's release.

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2025 WNBA season to tip off with all teams

All 13 teams will play on opening weekend, with the Valkyries logging their first minutes when they host an in-state battle against the LA Sparks on Friday, May 16th.

Other season-opener highlights include the Friday bout between 2024 runners-up Minnesota and Dallas, who are expected to debut UConn star Paige Bueckers as their 2025 No. 1 Draft pick, and Saturday's battle between the last two league champions — 2023 title-winners Las Vegas and reigning champs New York.

Indiana will also kick off their campaign against Chicago on May 17th, with both teams adding new head coaches to their rosters last month. Home to the the last two Rookies of the Year, Aliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark, the Fever will face a Sky side made stronger by Angel Reese's return from injury in the first of five 2025 regular-season meetings.

Fans eager for a 2024 Finals rematch between the reigning champions Liberty and the Lynx will have their patience tested by the 2025 schedule. Unless they meet again in the July 1st Commissioner's Cup championship, the pair won't face off until the first of their four regular-season battles on July 30th.

The WNBA's next steps

The road to the first-ever seven-game WNBA Finals series next fall begins on May 16th, but the league has a significant to-do list to tackle before stepping to the 2025 season's starting line. The WNBA must handle February's free agency signing period, April's draft, and the ongoing process of filling the league's multiple coaching vacancies — all while concurrently negotiating a new CBA with the WNBPA.

While the 2025 game calendar is set, the league's broadcast scheduled is still being hammered out and will be announced at a later date.

The WNBA's first step, however, is Friday’s expansion draft, when Golden State will begin to fill their inaugural roster by selecting players from the league's other 12 rosters live on ESPN at 6:30 PM ET.